Turning energy into energy
Heat recovery systems for industrial applications
Whether from wood waste, process heat or geothermal energy, the opportunities for sustainable energy generation are diverse – and increasingly in demand.
Together with companies from the energy and industrial sectors, we are currently delivering several customised heat recovery solutions. One example is a biomass energy centre, where wood waste such as used pallets is shredded and utilised directly on site to generate heat. Materials that would previously have been discarded are now being transformed into a valuable energy source. In another project currently under construction, waste heat from a high-temperature industrial furnace is recovered via a flue gas heat exchanger to support the heating system of a steelworks. This significantly reduces both emissions and the consumption of fossil fuels.
We are also implementing a forward-looking energy concept for a major mineral water producer. A new biomass combined heat and power plant will supply the majority of the process heat required, including heat for bottle cleaning operations. As part of the new boiler house construction, SCHULZ is delivering the complete building services package, including electrical engineering, instrumentation, control technology and software programming. The main challenge: “Production continues at full capacity all around us,” explains Simon Köppe, automation project manager at SCHULZ Wallenhorst. “That is why the modernisation is being carried out in a series of carefully planned construction phases. Projects like this require absolute precision and excellent timing.”
Another project is being delivered at one of Germany’s largest exhibition centres. There, the existing heat supply for the entire site is being decarbonised, with all gas-fired generation systems being replaced by large-scale heat pumps using groundwater as their energy source. The wells for the groundwater pumps extend to depths of up to 30 metres and will make renewable energy available for future operations. Our team on site has already completed the full cabling infrastructure, control panels and building services systems for the wells. Further project phases, including the electrical installation for the new heat pumps, will follow in subsequent installation stages. Simon Köppe explains: “Flexibility and the ability to respond quickly are essential here as well, because all work must be carried out around ongoing exhibition and event operations.”
All of these projects share a common goal: making energy use more efficient, conserving resources and developing tailored solutions for a sustainable future.
The most sustainable energy is often the energy that already exists. Our job is to make it usable in an intelligent way.
Simon Köppe, Project manager, SCHULZ Wallenhorst
